Universe of Metro 2033 (Book Series)
The''' Universe of Metro 2033 (Russian: '''Вселенная Метро 2033) is a long-running series of post-apocalyptic short stories, novellas and novels, spanning a variety of genres. The works are written by several different authors. However, all publications from the series are supported by Dmitry Glukhovsky and advertised on the official Metro 2033 website. Although the project started off in Russia (in late 2009), it has grown immensely since then and has turned into an international programme as a result of this. To date, over 50 books have been published under this label. Most of the stories are set in Russia, but some were also created and set in: Belarus, Britain, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, and numerous other countries. Piter Just like the people of Moscow, a fraction of St. Petersburg's citizens have fled to the underground tunnels of their hometown's metro. Piter (named after a Russian slang word for St. Petersburg) tells the story of Ivan Merkulov, a twenty-six year old fighter and stalker who experiences many trials and adventures as he travels through places both in the subway system of Saint Petersburg, as well as those above on the surface of post-apocalyptic Earth. The novel begins with the young protagonist about to get married. Unfortunately, the ceremony gets interrupted when the engine-generator that powers the necessities of life on Vasileostrovskaya (Ivan's home station) is stolen. Sozonov - friend and member of Merkulov's team of stalkers - believes that the residents of several nearby stations, who originate from Moscow, are responsible for the crime. A war, between those stations and an alliance that Vasileostrovskaya is part of, begins. As is revealed later on in the story, things are much more complex than Ivan could have ever foreseen. It turns out that he is dragged into something much bigger than the local conflict between the two factions, and the lines between friend & foe become very blurry as he continues his task. Merkulov's mission takes him to various locations, through numerous dangers and oddities, as he travels through the metro and beyond. Towards the Light Just like Piter, this novel tells the story of a group of survivors from post-nuclear St. Petersburg. The main characters of the book are Taran (a veteran stalker) and Gleb (a twelve-year-old boy who is taken from his home station by Taran). The two join a team of stalkers, who have been tasked with discovering the source of the mysterious light seen on the surface; presumed to originate from Kronshtadt. Taran - the most experienced member of the group - serves as their guide, with Gleb as his assistant. The book explores the ideas of hope, the truth behind the worshippers of the newly-formed, post-apocalyptic religion of Exodus and Gleb's personal quest to find paradise in world that has seen nuclear disaster. Although it is one of the shorter novels in the Universe series, Towards the Light is still considered to be a book of outstanding quality. Much like its brethren, it is different to Glukhovsky's Metro 2033 and Metro 2034, but upholds similar messages and atmosphere. The book has a direct sequel titled Into the Darkness. Into the Darkness Direct sequel to Towards the Light and second instalment in Dyakov's trilogy, Into the Darkness features the same surviving protagonists from the previous story and takes place after the events of Towards the Light. As witnessed by the crew of the "Babel" offshore oil platform, inhabitants of the Moshchny Island perish in the fires of a nuclear explosion. Questions arise as to who and for what reasons would strike the peaceful society of the island, annihilating any hope of a brighter future for the few survivors of the Catastrophe. Dwellers of the St. Petersburg metro are accused of committing this atrocity. The "Babel" oil rig crew send them an ultimatum: the individuals responsible for the bombing are to be found within a week, otherwise all tenants of the subway will face a fate similarly deadly to that of the Moshchny citizens. The investigation becomes Taran's responsibility, but the situation becomes even more complicated by the sudden disappearance of Gleb, his foster-son. Questions multiply, but the path to the truth is a difficult one for it lies in darkness - at the very bottom of the human soul. The book has a continuation called Beyond the Horizon. The Roots of Heaven Set in post-apocalyptic Italy, the action of the story begins in the Catacombs of Callixtus, one of the Catacombs of Rome, where the remnants of Catholic authority are led by the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, the last surviving member of the College of Cardinals. From this "New Vatican" an expedition sets off to find the Patriarch of Venice, who seems to be the only known candidate for the next papacy. According to rumours, he is imprisoned in the north of Italy and the path eventually leads to Venice. The priest entrusted with seeking out the Patriarch, an American man called John Daniels, is placed under the protection of seven soldiers of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The deadly surface of the planet makes his mission a perilous one. The way to Venice is blood-stained, full of pain and madness. The ambiguous behaviour of Father Daniels' escort makes him feel uncertain about the true objective of the expedition, whilst the horrors he experiences along the way make him doubt the point of the Church's mission. The dreadful scenes described in The Roots of Heaven belong to some of (if not the) most cruel and gruesome stories of the entire Metro Series. On this turbulent path, John Daniels begins to question his companions, his church, his faith and himself. The novel has a direct sequel titled "La crociata dei bambini" (The Children's Crusade), in which Father Daniels, trying to return to Rome, finds himself as part of the war that divides the city of Milan. Heritage of the Ancestors Set in the post-apocalyptic Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation, much of the story takes place within a series of underground bunkers built by the Germans during the Second World War. Once the Nazis occupying Eastern Europe were defeated by the Red Army and the Soviet Union took control over the area, the bunkers were partially modernized and used as shelters during the Cold War era. Naturally, when the Great War of 2013 came, citizens of the Kaliningrad Oblast who found themselves nearby when the bombs started falling retreated into these structures to survive. Now, 20 years after the nuclear conflict, various fractions continue to fight for survival in the hazardous area that used to be their home. The few organizations that have persevered remain suspicious of each other at best, but will they put their differences aside when unexpected visitors "return" to reclaim the heritage of their ancestors? The Nazi bunkers (now inhabited by what remains of Kaliningrad's Russian population) are still very enigmatic to their tenants, with countless hidden tunnels and a rumoured subway system containing the scientific secrets of the Third Reich. Heritage of the Ancestors stars a varied cast of characters who are connected to this tale; among them are the protagonists Aleksandr Zagorski, Major Stechkin, Tigran Bagramian (an Armenian), and Rita Gzel. Beyond the Horizon The St. Petersburg metro is plunged into yet another war - this time it is the vegan imperium, who try to conquer the independent stations. Meanwhile, Taran (an experienced stalker) finds a trace of the Alpheios project, which may be able to clear the surface of the planet of deadly radiation and give the survivors hope that they could one day leave their tunnels and shelters. The trail leads to the Far East, to Vladivostok . The vegan imperium's opponents would like to have Taran on their side due to his previous experience with the bloodthirsty faction, but he sees things differently. Ready to burn bridges and leave the St. Petersburg metro by force, Taran sets out to seek hope for the world somewhere else, beyond the horizon. On his mission he is joined by his foster-children Gleb and Aurora, as well as his proven friends and companions Injun, Godless One, Migalych and Gennadiy. The journey takes them across Asia, making Beyond the Horizon one of the few books in the series to feature such a large trip and so many different locations in just one story. Beyond the Horizon is the sequel to Into the Darkness, as well as the final instalment in the trilogy that started with Towards the Light. The Promised District The action of the novel takes place almost exclusively within the Nowa Huta district of Kraków, southern Poland. During World War III, the enemy dropped 2 nuclear bombs near the once glorious city. Less than 20% of Kraków's pre-war population lived through the explosions. Even fewer have managed to endure the following conflagrations, as well as the lethally long winter that followed. By 2033, almost 2 decades after the worldwide conflict ravaged the planet, the surface of the Earth remains uninhabitable. The snow has melted years ago, only to reveal immense amounts of radioactive ash. However, thanks to the expansive network of underground fallout shelters built beneath Nowa Huta, a portion of the district's former citizens lived on... but humanity is deteriorating. 17 year old boy Marcin and his 19 year old assumed sister Ewa Dziekierzyńska are orphans; took in by Stanisław Koszyński (known commonly as Pan Onufry) and his motherlike cousin Wanda Tazar, they were raised like family and accepted into the only subterranean troupe. Alongside their adoptive mother and the charismatic actor Piotr Rzepiecha, they make ends meet by starring in Pan Onufry's inspiring adaptations of pre-war plays. Everything seems to be going in their favour, until suddenly they are accused of treason and theft. Betrayed by Piotr and separated from their mentors, Marcin and Ewa must flee from the only home they have ever known. Upon leaving the safety of the fallout shelter for the first time, their escape is hindered by the inhospitable outdoors. But they are soon joined by a Russian stalker nicknamed "Wesoły", who has also been falsely incriminated and decides to help them. Authoritites of the underground federation send hardened Lieutenant Przemysław Siedlar (alias "Szrama") and his newly assigned team of stalkers on a mission to capture the fugitives and bring them to justice. During this journey, they are joined by the charming comrade Ninel and her subordinate "Gorący" from the Commune. The plot follows the exploits of protagonists Marcin and Siedlar, along with their respective companions, whilst also focusing on much of the political intrigue between the numerous factions that have formed in post-apocalyptic Nowa Huta. As the remnants of mankind continue to turn life into hell on earth for each other, will they be able to stand against the intellectually unanimous hordes approaching from the west and survive the looming onslaught? Murancha Melnikov's novel is set in post-apocalyptic Rostov-on-Don, not to be confused with the much older and smaller Rostov the Great. Most of the book's action takes place within the tunnels of the Rostov metro. In reality, although planning of the project dates back to the 1980s, the rapid transit in Rostov remains under development as of 2015. The author explains how production was sped up for the liberty of the story. In Murancha, the Rostov subway is divided into two lines: the red line, which was finished and had all the necessary features of a shelter installed; and the blue line, which was still under construction when the bombs were dropped, therefore there are no rails or proper hermetic doors throughout this part of the underground. The protagoist is called Ilya Magin (nicknamed Mag), a middle-aged hermit who continues to live in the long abandoned station where his wife Olga and son Sergiey died years prior. There are also some recurring secondary characters, such as Kozak the stalker and Taras Bulba. The plot revolves around a swarm of heavily mutated giant ant-locusts that invade Rostov and how the denizens of the city's metro try to deal with the oncoming doom, whilst the more personal narrative focuses on Illya and how he becomes (at first unwillingly) involved with the affairs of the survivors. Throughout the course of the story, he must change his reclusive ways in order to start living again and finally recover from the haunting loss of family that he never truly came to terms with. The Rest Many other books have also been published under the Universe of Metro 2033 banner since the launch of Dmitry Glukhovsky's project in 2009, but information about most of them is scarce. Their titles are: *Track Marks *Dark Tunnels *Exit by Force *Marmoreal Paradise *The Wanderer *The North *In the Interests of the Revolution *War of Moles *Bezymyanka *To See the Sun *Below Hell *Ghost Station *Paramedics *Britain *Icy Captivity *The Siege of Paradise *The Last Refuge *Unburied *The Blinding Void *Kingdom of Rats *Muos *The Right by Force *The Bad Side of Peace *Hunger *The Witness *Daughter of the Heavenly Spirit *The Right for Life *Abode of Dreams *Cat and Mouse *Rublyovka *The One Standing at the Door *Dark Target *Crimea *From the Depths *Blindmen *Dusk at the End of the Tunnel *Snow Leopard *The Measurer *Sisters of Sorrow *The Road of Steel and Hope *Mutant *The Host of the Yauza *Born to Crawl *Rublyovka-2 *Crimea-2 *The Apostate *The Children's Crusade Gallery Russian covers of all books from the series Novel1.png Novel2.png Novel3.png Novel4.png Novel5.png Novel6.png Novel7.png Novel8.png Novel9.png Novel10.png Novel11.png Novel12.png Novel13.png Novel14.png Novel15.png Novel16.png Novel17.png Novel18.png Novel19.png Novel20.png Novel21.png Novel22.png Novel23.png Novel24.png Novel25.png Novel26.png Novel27.png Novel28.png Novel29.png Novel30.png Novel31.png Novel32.png Novel33.png Novel34.png Novel35.png Novel36.png Novel37.png Novel38.png Novel39.png Novel40.png Novel41.png Novel42.png Novel43.png Novel44.png Novel45.png Novel46.png Novel47.png Novel48.png Novel49.png Novel50.png Novel51.png Novel52.png Novel53.png Others 2014-07-27_metrobooks.jpg|Universe of Metro 2033 books as seen in Metro 2033 (the video game). Category:Books